Napoleon (1995)

The adventures of Golden Retriever pup Napoleon and his friend, the parrot Birdo Lucci.

Director:

Mario Andreacchio

Writers:

Michael Bourchier, Mario Andreacchio

Stars:

Jamie Croft, Philip Quast, Susan Lyons

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jamie Croft	...	Napoleon (voice)
Philip Quast	...	Birdo (voice)
Susan Lyons	...	Napoleon's Mum / Other Wallaby (voice)
Coralie Sawade	...	Kids' Mother (voice)
Brenton Whittle	...	Owl / Frog / Wombat / Other Wallaby / Desert Mouse (voice)
Anne-Louise Lambert	...	Spider / Earless Wallaby / Desert Mouse (voice) (as Anne Lambert)
Carole Skinner	...	Cat (voice)
Catherine Lambert	...	Lorikeet / Rabbit (voice)
Tracey Canini	...	Lorikeet / Rabbit (voice)
Annabel Sims	...	Lorikeet / Rabbit (voice)
Neusa Timms	...	Lorikeet / Rabbit (voice)
Debbie Horn	...	Lorikeet / Rabbit (voice)
Lucia Mastrantone	...	Lone Lorikeet (voice)
Frank Whitten	...	Koala (voice)
Fiona Press	...	Other Wallaby / Galah (voice)

Storyline

Napoleon is a little dog that lives in Sydney. He and his mother live with a family, but Napoleon loves to dream about meeting the wild dogs that live far away, and eventually becoming one himself. One day he gets into a basket hung from some balloons and flies away into the sky. The wind carries him to a nearby island where the basket finally lands. There he meets all kinds of different animals; some of them are friendly, but some aren't. With the help of a parakeet friend he learns the secrets of living alone in the island and defending himself from wild animals. He goes in search of the wild dogs, whom he finally finds. He is very happy with them, but then he gets homesick and starts to miss his mother, so he decides to go home again.

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Plot Keywords:

animal character name as title | one word title | dog | golden retriever | balloon | 

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Taglines:

Meet a pup with a nose for adventure.

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Genres:

Adventure | Family

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

52 puppies were used to portray Napoleon over the course of the 28-week shoot, with anywhere from three to eight being used for a single scene. This was because the puppies slept a lot, cutting down filming time, and because a puppy could only be used for three weeks before it grew too big.

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Goofs

When Napoleon meets the "owl", it is not actually an owl. The animal is actually a Tawny Frogmouth.

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Quotes

Cat: Ahh... not a mouse... a dog. DOG MUST DIE!

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Alternate Versions

Two English versions exist: the original Australian cast and a dub with an American cast.

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Connections

Referenced in The Making of 'The Real Macaw' (1998)

User Reviews

Just plain wonderful movie-making

Sometimes serendipity, dumb luck, and channel-surfing really pays off. That's how we found this terrific treat. Look -- in your cable listings or in your video store -- for this Australian-made movie feature. Total delight -- and you can watch it with your mom, your grandmom, your mom-in-law, even your kids in the same room -- or all by yourself if your macho attitudes requires. [Remember "Paulie"? That's right in this category.] But there's none of the "Old Yeller" boo-hoo stuff, so you-and-they'll be okay and sinus-dry when it's over. It's about a city-bred puppy who just knows he has to connect with his wild cousins, the dingoes. So off he goes -- in a balloon-powered basket (okay, we'll admit we worried about the pup up there in midair, especially when the basket was snared by a pointy-nosed commuter train -- but why give away the good stuff?). The photography is gorgeous, but the animal shots (birds, lizards, turtles, dingoes, etc.) are nothing short of incredible!! "Stunning!!" works, too. No people at all to get in the way, either. Try it. If you don't like it, then you'll just have to wait until the movie version of "Hannibal (the Lecter)" arrives.

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Park Circus

Country:

Australia Japan

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 October 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Napoleon

Filming Locations:

Lake Gairdner, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD4,300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

AMPCO Films, Adelaide Motion Picture Company, Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1